Tale of the Undertale - The Final Human
by Wrathomatic
Summary: Frisk, the last human to fall into the Underground, embarks on a journey to find her way to the portal that seals the monsters within Mt. Abott. The story follows not only Frisk, but those she will befriend [or befoe] along the way. And, with every step, there is one name that whispers to her in the darkness... Chara.
1. The Fall

She had wandered away from the village, her little footsteps swishing through the grass as it grew longer and wilder. Her absence went unnoticed as the orphan child weaved into the fields unknown. The bright sun beat down over the horizon, beyond the seas of grass and wildflowers and over the looming mountain in the distance. Frisk brushed a piece of hair past her face with a caramel hand. Little brown eyes peered through the long grass that nearly passed her in height; on tiptoes, she looked out towards Mount Ebott. As she wandered through the wilderness to satisfy the curiously only a little child could muster, she recalled the stories her village once repeated to her long ago...

"Long ago, two races ruled over the Earth: Humans and Monsters. One day, a war broke out between the two races and after a long series of battle, the humans were victorious. The greatest of their magicians sealed the monsters to the Underground with a magic barrier. However, this barrier is not a perfect barrier..."

They told her the stories of men and women who had traveled up the mountain, only to never return. Sam, Chara, Tim... over countless years, none of them survived. Some say the summit pulled them in, others claim that the monsters lured them in and ate their souls; there are rumours that monsters envy the human soul, for it has the determination to linger moments after a human's death, whereas a monster's soul will destroy itself immediately. They say it would take all of the souls of a monster to muster up to the strength of a human soul, even that of a child.

Frisk had since wandered through the forests beyond the fields. Beautiful oaks and maple trees showered her in shade from the afternoon sun, although this forest occasionally stuck a bramble or two in her striped sweater as she walked along an old path, long since forgotten. She gasped as a thicket branch became snagged in her hair. She pulled on it hard until it broke away from the offending tree before untangling it in her head. It was a little knobby, good for a walking stick as any, she determined. And so, she took it along.

Breaking back into the sun's bright light, she squinted and shielded her face with a little hand. Frisk wandered up Mount Ebott's path for what felt like an eternity. Along the mountain pass she found another pathway below her. She didn't dare jump, but looking over the ridge, she could see a long path leading into the wall. She shrugged and continued; she couldn't understand why there would be a pathway leading to nowhere, or perhaps it lead someplace long ago. It was a nice spot for a picnic, she remarked to herself, and it's view of the world was astonishing.  
As the grasses and flowers diminished, she found herself stepping through rocks and gravel soon enough. Frisk swallowed hard as she approached the top of the mountain as the sunset crept up through the horizon.

Frisk became timid, tugging on the hem of her shirt as she stepped nervously towards the maw of Mount Ebbot. A gaping, treacherous hole, impressive at worst and disturbing at best; it seemed to dip down into the universe, as all Frisk could see were little specks of fluorite and celestite glinting off of the sun's reflection, embedded in the obsidian cavern that was the eternal summit of Mount Ebott. She peered down further, squinting again so that her eyes might cut through the darkness... and then, there was nothing but darkness.

Frisk felt her footing fail her as the ground came loose, and then the whirlwind of brown hair flying past her face. Her sweater began to tousle and flap along with flailing limbs in a panic. Frisk did not scream as she barreled towards the darkness, looking up just long enough to see a circle of sky grow smaller and smaller... until suddenly, she hit the ground.

~ Stay... determined... ~

Frisk's eyes opened slowly. She looked back up at the tiny blot of sky ahead of her; it was still day. How long had it been? Minutes? Days? It was impossible for her to tell. She felt a stinging in her back and wrist, which was no doubt sprained. Her tiny hands petted the soft petals of the yellow flowers she'd fallen upon; they'd cushioned her fall, perhaps? She swallowed as she peeked through the blackness ahead of her. A doorway!  
Hope filled her heart as she rose to shaky feet. Steadying herself, Frisk took a few steps forward. Suddenly, a small, golden creature burst through the floor... a flower! She stared at it, and to her surprise it stared back! Beady, black eyes and a little smile... it waved, and so she gave a smile and waved back shyly.  
"Hi! I'm Flowey~" he said excitedly. "What's your name?" Frisk felt uneasy, but answered her name in a soft, sweet voice.  
"I'm Frisk."  
"That was a long fall there, huh?" He said with sympathy, cocking his head a little bit for the question. Frisk nodded. "Hopefully, your soul is ok!" Frisk stared. "Don't you know how your soul works? Oh my! I should explain! You see, your soul is the very culmination of your being! You're very weak at the moment BUT! If you get lots and lots of love~ you can get big and strong!" Frisk gave Flowey a smile as he wiggled his leaves happily. "You can get more love... by collecting 'Friendliness pellets!' That's how we monsters work; here, I'll share with you!" Flowey winked as little white orbs shot out of him, dancing around Frisk happily. She smiled as she watched them float through the air whimsically. "Have one," Flowey growled. A white dart shot towards her, scraping her hand as she reached out to grab it. She gasped, pulling her hand back; she wanted to run, but the pellets surrounded her as they grew in number. "Have another," he grinned sadistically, shooting another towards her. It scratched her chin. "You IDIOT!" Flowey began to cackle, fear rising in Frisk's chest. "In this world, it's KILL or BE KILLED!" Flowey shrieked with maniacal laughter. "Now DIE~!"  
An army of 'friendliness pellets' flew around her, spinning faster and fast as they aimed their pointy bits towards her, ready to strike. A few shot in and retreated to tease her. Frisk covered her eyes and whimpered before the laughter stopped. She looked up as the white dots fell to the floor, and Flowey retreated into the ground with flames blasting towards him.

"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth..." said a voice like milk and honey. "Are you all right?"


	2. The Ruins, Part One

Frisk's trembling fingers balled into loose fists of fear before her; they were in front of her chest, pressed against it as it rose and fell with nervous breaths.  
"It's going to be all right, human..." said the woman. Frisk opened her small, dark eyes. Before her stood a tall goat-like creature; her body was covered in a white fur, and her face was pulling down into a fanged snout. Her ears were long and flat, falling to the sides of her friendly face. She smiled warmly. Frisk shook softly as she felt the fear that once welled in her chest rise into her throat. "My name is Toriel... you need not be afraid, my child, for I am the caretaker to the ruins... I will do you no harm." Frisk remained silent, frozen. Toriel pouted a bit, but quickly regained her cheery disposition as she gained an idea to earn the little girl's trust. "Welcome to my home. Come with me; I will lead you through the catacombs of the Ruins."  
Toriel looked back as she walked away slowly, but before long her eyes were set forward. Frisk took a small step forward before looking around. What was that flower, what was any of this? She prayed it was a dream. But, as she realized that Toriel was vanishing through the darkness, she decided to catch up.  
As she approached Toriel, she smiled and gave Frisk a glance.  
"It has been... many years since I've seen a human fall through here," said Toriel. "They come, they leave... truthfully, I wish they did not come..." Toriel blinked a few times before turning her face a bit. "I know they do not belong down here, none of us do... but I wish them all the best." She gave Frisk a comforting smile. "Good people, mostly; I enjoy their company."  
"How long have you been in the ruins?" asked Frisk.  
"Oh~! Well... a long time, my child." Toriel was unprepared for Frisk to warm up to her so quickly. "You're by far the smallest," Toriel said sweetly. But then, she stopped by a lever perched upon the wall. "Do you know about puzzles, my child?"  
"Puzzles?"  
"Oh yes, dear, puzzles. The Ruins, and the Underground, are riddled with them. Monsters, long ago, used puzzles to combat or confuse their enemies. Now? Now it's just for fun, mostly. There are puzzles here, in the ruins-" Toriel threw the lever down, and with a loud snap, a bridge was lowered over a small creek trickling into the hallway. "See? Come, my child..." Frisk followed her guide, taking careful steps over the bridge. Across the way there was another switch, with red markings beside it. "Try here, my child." Frisk obeyed, curious as she reached up to the stone wall. With a few hard tugs, the switch was pulled. The bridge was pulled back into the ceiling. Toriel clapped softly in approval. "Excellent, I am so proud; come along, my child, there is much more to show you."  
They passed through to the next room, which had a small dummy within.  
"As a human living in the Underground, some monsters may... well, attack you, little one. You must be prepared for this situation. However, worry not- try to stall for time with conversation, and I will always come to protect you and resolve the conflict." Frisk gave her a small smile. Toriel smiled back. "I will always be your guardian, child, so long as you are here with me. Now please, pretend this dummy is trying to attack you."  
Frisk thought of hitting the dummy, but as she balled up a little fist, Toriel looked... uneasy.  
"Please, sir dummy, I don't want to fight you..." Toriel beamed.  
"Very good, my child!"  
Frisk was happy to trail behind Toriel into the adventurous unknown of the Ruins. She went from a fearful stagger to a giddy, childish bounce and skip in no time at all. Occasionally, she would stop alongside Toriel to learn a new puzzle, or to demonstrate her skills in remembering how to complete them. Toriel was very warm and motherly, even if her strange eyes and furry face was so unfamiliar; Frisk felt at home.  
Toriel felt a touch giddy as well; so many years in the Ruins, she'd almost forgotten what it was like to speak with a human again- even if Frisk was such a young child. Nostalgia filled the beautiful robes she wore. She smoothed out the soft fabric over her stomach as she remembered each face that had come through. They came, they left... they died.  
Toriel stopped. Frisk stopped alongside her, hesistant to speak as tension filled the air.  
"Forgive me," Toriel said before rushing into the darkness. Caught by surprise, Frisk remained still as she watched this new guardian vanish into the darkening distance.  
"Toriel!" She called out. Silence.  
Nothing.  
"Toriel, wait!" Frisk called out again before taking a few steps forward. "Toriel!"  
The young human shuddered as she took a few more steps forward... and forward... and forward... was there no end to this hallway? She stumbled along as she pulled on the hem of her striped shirt, nervous as she came across a lighted archway; the next room was filled with light and leaves. Frisk closed her eyes as she took the final steps, but then, from behind her...  
"I'm so sorry to have left you like this," Toriel said, stepping out from behind a large vase. Relieved, Frisk turned to face her. "But I needed to be sure if... if you were able to be independent, my child." Frisk did not understand, but embraced the comfort of Toriel's company yet again. "Come, just through here..."  
Frisk and Toriel wandered through the hallway, to the room bathed in light.  
"I will leave you now, my child; I... was not expecting visitors, after so much time, truthfully. I will be back to collect you soon enough." Toriel hesitated before taking a few steps. "Oh, although..." She returned to Frisk after a few steps away, pulling a small phone out of her pocket. "Here- if you should need me, I will always be just a call away."  
Frisk nodded, taking the phone before Toriel waved her a nervous farewell.  
"I will come back for you, my dear, so stay here... the Ruins are not for children to explore alone." Frisk nodded again, and with that, Toriel left her alone.  
At first, Frisk felt uncomfortable again; the room was rather large, with a few piles of leaves and two exits leading through it. But, as time crawled forward, Frisk felt unfathomable boredom and impatience... but what to do?  
Frisk passed through the first exit, although through this she discovered that it was no exit at all! There was a beautiful ionic pedestal, red leaves surrounding it in a ceremonial circle. A wall of ivy came down behind it, and two small pools of water to the left and right. Upon the pedestal was a marble bowl with small, colourful objects within. Frisk's curiosity lead her closer. Upon inspection, there was a small note taped to the bowl.  
"Monster Candy - Take One!"  
It was a candy dish... go figure.  
But, Frisk was excited as she pulled out the sugary pink ball. Unwrapping it, she put it into her mouth. Some sort of berry, with a touch of sour to it. She thought of taking another, but... no, she was a good child. Frisk left the room.  
As the hard candy dissolved it's hard coating, it became a chewy fruit centre. She meandered through the room, coyly kicking at a few leaves. But, what started as a few shuffles through them became rolling and leaping, giggles and smiles. Frisk played through the leaves. She looked to the other pile, filled with determination as she whimsically leapt from one pile to the other. She laughed and hugged herself in the leaves.  
But then... her foot struck something.  
Frisk gasped as she felt sticky fingers graze over her leg. In a panic, she tore herself away from her fun.  
"Rerrrr-iiiiiiibit!" It was a frog, one big enough to swallow her, it seemed. Frisk looked for her walking stick, but it was nowhere in sight; when had she lost it? She through a complaining grunt as she swung her arms in a fury. The Froggit adjusted it's sitting, bumping into Frisk in the process. She nearly fell over, swinging her arms again in fear. Her first collided with the Froggit's face. He squeaked in pain as she struck his eye, feeling it twitch as he looked up to her. Frisk stopped, a feeling of guilt filling her chest.  
He did not want to fight.  
"I'm... I'm sorry," she said, pouting before hugging the sticky creature. He forgave her.  
"That's alrrrrrriiiiight~" he chirped, much to her surprise. Having made amends, Frisk decided that perhaps kindness was needed in this underground world of darkness. Or, perhaps it was already there; she would try harder to see it.  
The cellphone rang, and both Frisk and the jumped in shock. The Froggit hopped off as she opened the flip-phone and answered.  
"Hello, my child~" Toriel said warmly. "I did not expect to take so long. Are you doing all right?"  
"Yes..." said Frisk.  
"Do you like butterscotch? Or cinnamon?"  
"Butterscotch," Frisk replied.

"Damn," Toriel whispered away from the phone. She returned it to her ear. "All right, my child; be well. I will be around soon enough. Bye-bye~"  
"Bye Toriel~"  
"Now what," Toriel sighed after she'd hung up; the unbaked pie was ready for the over, the glazed butterscotch surface reflecting beautifully against the soft light of the kitchen. Freckles of cinnamon sat atop the glaze, and would be found throughout the pie's soft inside as well. She put it into the oven. Perhaps Frisk would not mind? She called again.  
"Hello, dear, I must ask... do... do you not dislike cinnamon?"  
"No, I like cinnamon," Frisk assured her. Toriel smiled in relief.  
"Oh, that's fantastic... all right, my child, I-" There was an odd noise, followed by a giggling little girl. "What are you up to?"  
"Nothing~" she said happily.  
"... be good, my child. I won't be long."  
"Ok Toriel, bye!" Toriel hung up the phone again as she paused...

Frisk and a Moldsmal were having a wiggling contest. The gelatinous critter shook and wobbled as Frisk laughed herself pink in the face, shaking her hips side to side and her arms tucked into her elbows. It didn't take long for her to grow a bit tired. She lay down beside the Moldsmal, watching the ceiling alongside it. She felt time moving around her. Life was suddenly so calm, and energy was just a means of traveling through space. Existence was trasnscendence. She felt many dimensions, colliding and creating new anomalies as- Frisk got up from the boredom after, give or take, ten minutes.

Meanwhile, Toriel was vacuuming the bedrooms in the house. She felt a tinge of sadness as she went over the smallest bedroom, pushing the vacuum beneath the two child-size beds.  
They came, they left, and then they all died... Toriel felt her concerns for Frisk rising as she left the bedroom and turned off the light. Perhaps the little girl could be different? Although there were no human survivors before her, there could be the chance that the Underground could want to spare her. And Asgore... Toriel's face twisted in disgust, hoping that the shadow of their former king would also spare the young human. It was doubtful.  
Toriel found herself needing to bake the pie just a bit longer...


	3. The Ruins, Part Two

"Was that helpful?" asked the rock, who had wandered onto the platform at Frisks' request.  
"Thank you, Mr. Rock," she beamed. As she approached the wooden platform with little holes in it, the spikes suddenly rose back out of it. She gasped before spinning around. The rock had moved. Again. "Hey-"  
"You wanted me to STAY there? Human, this is a REAL workout!"  
"I'm sorry," Frisk said, but she was determined to get through. "I really need to find Toriel..." Without another word, the rock shimmied onto the platform. And, before he could move again, Frisk darted across. She tripped into a line of Moldsmals, but soon was brushing off her pants. She peered into a little mousehole as she wandered along. "Stay determined, little mouse," she whispered to it. "One day, you'll get the cheese."  
The Ruins were musty and dim, with occasional patches of light twinkling from up ahead. She hopped form sunlit patch to sunlit patch, noticing that they grew fewer in numbers; the Ruins were heading deeper into the mountain. Still, Frisk carried along, that is until she came across a very peculiar ghost.  
He lay flat along a patch of leaves.  
"Z... z... z..." The ghost repeated the leter 'Z' over and over again, pretending to be asleep. Frisk reached out to touch him. "Z... z?" Suddenly, he rose up. Having been startled, Frisk took a step backwards and retracted her hand. "H.. hello... human..."  
"Hello," Frisk repeated. "What's your name?"  
"Whoooo, me?" Frisk nodded.  
"Uh-huh."  
"My name's Napstablook... wh-what's your name?"  
"I'm Frisk," she said, pointing to herself. Napstablook floated about, the faint smell of ectoplasm permeating the vicinity. "What are you doing here all alone?"  
"Nothing, nobody wants me around..." he said softly. Napstablook sighed.  
"I like your glowy eyes," said Frisk. "They're very pretty."  
"R-really?"  
"Yes~ I do... why doesn't anybody want you around?" Napstablook sighed again. "Hey, Napstablook, do you wanna hear a joke?"  
"Oh... ok... wh-what is it?"  
"What do astronauts do for a party? They planet!" After a few moments, a twitch of a smile met the corner of the ghost's incorporeal lips.  
"Heh... heh, that is funny... hey... c-can I show you something?" Frisk nodded. Beads of white light dripped from Napstablook's eyes. At first, she mistook it for crying, but then they floated upwards; the beads formed a top-hat on Napstablook's head. "D... do you like it? I call it Dapper Blook..."  
"I do~" Frisk giggled, giving him a few claps. Napstablook smiled again.  
"I usually come here because there is nobody around... I'll get out of your way..."  
With that, Napstablook faded away. Frisk looked around for a moment, and once she was satisfied that he was truly gone, she ventured through the corridor ahead.  
She came across a strong of Froggits, perched neatly along a clear pathway.  
"Hello, Froggits," Frisk said to them softly. They smiled and chirped back at her respectively.

It had been nearly two hours since Toriel had been with Frisk, and as she placed the pie on the counter, she marveled at the time.  
"Oh no," she said, paling. "I should have not left the girl alone!" Fearing for Frisk's safety, Toriel rushed outside of her home. She walked along the pathway and past the tree in the yard... only to find a little human on the other side, smiling up at her. "My child! How did you get here? Are you hurt?"  
"No, I'm all right," Frisk assured as Toriel pat on her limbs and inspected her skin.  
"It was irresponsible of my to leave you alone like this, you could have been hurt..."  
"Toriel?"  
"Yes, my child?" Frisk giggled, pointing up at Toriel's gown. She was covered in flour.  
"Oh~" Toriel snickered. "I think I may need a bath... come, my dear, let me show you my home." Frisk was eager, and thus followerd Toriel inside. "I will be with you shortly, I promise. Make yourself at home." Toriel broke away to draw herself a warm bath as Frisk walked about. There was a stairwell leading into a basement of some sort. She continued forward to the room left of the front door; a fireplace was crackling softly, and a big, warm armchair sat comfortable beside it. Frisk took to the bookshelf. There were many books about snails. She pulled out a history book at random.

Trapped behind the barrier, and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the Earth we walked, until we reached the cavern's end. This was our new home, which we named 'Home.' As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.

Frisk put it back before approaching the flames, which were only pleasantly warm; Toriel must have used her magic to kindle the fire. She left it alone before heading into the kitchen. Upon the counter, there was a pie. Excited, Frisk went to reach up to it, although it was much too hot to eat. Disappointed, Frisk left and went down the other hall. She heard soft singing from a bathroom; it was Toriel. She entered the first room; a child's bedroom. She looked at the two beds, the toys, and the lamp. Was Toriel a mother?  
Frisk began to pout before sitting on one of the beds. Would Toriel's family come home and wish her away? Of course, nobody had ever wanted Frisk before. The village shuffled her care around like a chore, and thus she was often left alone. No doubt they did not investigate her disappearance, or even acknowledge it. Perhaps they wouldn't even notice... Frisk was anxious at the thought of being replaced.  
She hugged her knees to her head and continued to pout. At some point, she would fall over onto the bed and take a nap.

~ Chara, wake up, please... you are the fate of all humans and monsters!  
Stay determined! ~  
I AM THE END TIMES.

Frisk awoke in the bed, blinking a few times to adjust to the dark room. The door was open a crack, and a slice of pie was on the floor beside her. Happily, she took the dessert fork and ate it as she looked around the bedroom some more. There was a drawing of a flower on the wall, along with a cupboard full of clothes. Frisk reached out to touch a striped green sweater; it was very soft. As her pie was completed, Frisk exited the bedroom as light spilled into it behind her.  
Toriel was dressed in a floral muumuu, reading a book by the fire.  
"Hello, my child," she said in a sweet voice, smiling from above the back of her novel. Frisk sleepily crawled into the armchair, snuggling up to Toriel. She was surprised, but warmly embraced Frisk with much-appreciated cuddles.  
"Toriel... do you have anyone that lives here with you?"  
"Well of course," she replied. "There are Froggits and Whimsums, and the Vegetoids. There's the spiders, and-"  
"No, I mean... do you have a family?" Toriel's smile dimmed.  
"Not anymore, little one..." Frisk thought she would be relieved, but she too knew the sad pangs of loneliness. The feelings of abandonment, loss, uncertainty...  
"Can... can I call you mom?" Frisk asked nervously.  
"Oh, I... d-don't you have a mother, dear?" Frisk said nothing in return. "I mean, of course you can..."  
"I do have a mother," said Frisk, pressing her face into Toriel's warm body. "I have you."  
"You are terribly sweet..." Toriel said as she fought back happy tears. A few moments later, she regained her composure. "You know, my child, when I saw you... it was as if I was meeting an old friend for the first time."  
"When I first met you," said Frisk. "I thought, 'that's one big goat.'" Toriel burst into laughter before giving Frisk a tight hug.  
"Too cute~ ... Dear, I have been preparing a curriculum for you- it is important that you get a proper education." Frisk nodded. And so, until the human returned to sleep, Toriel read to her softly of snails and their usefulness. Tomorrow would be a new day, and Frisk would start her life in the Ruins with Toriel.


End file.
